Foldable shipping box



May 1, 1923.

G. X. WENDLING FOLDABLE SHIPPING Box` Filed May 27. 1922 y2 sneet's-sheet 2 Patented ay 1, li

GEORGE X. WENDLING, Aor san Francisco, oALrn'ofnnra,

.roLDABLn SHrPrrNeVeBox.

application meanay 27, '1322. seria1no..5e4,g71.

AT aZwz-,om t `may concern.' y Be it known thatLGnoRGn X. iVnNDLlNG,

' a citizen ofthe United States, residing at the city and ,county ot San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Foldable ShippingBoxesfof which thefollowing is a specification.

The vpresent invention relates to a foldable r,shipping box, adapted for delivery of the container in collapsed form, ready for assembling.

The invention hast for its principal objects to provide a veneer collapsible or foldable box lconstruction wherein the center of the box YVis longitudinally reinforced, a'ording a meansifor securing the top and bottom closure membersinJ positiom and at the same time forming compartments within the box; to provide a, construction which is adapted iforreceiving smaller boxes or baskets of berries kor citrusfruit, such as oranges, for the shipping thereof to market y.at ,small cost. `Another' object is to provide a construction whereiny the contents of the recepgtacle isa-fforded ventilation, both at the top `capable of bein l`cheaply'constructed and and bottom, even ,in single packages or when a multiplicity thereoflare secured in stacked relation. yAmong the other ,objects of this invention are to l lprovide a Y shipping box which may be eit er returned to the shipper or may be `destroyedfby the consumer without any considerable loss; one which is light in weight, thereby re uiring but little charge in the handing t ereof by express and one wherein: the end walls of the` box are-,secured midway of their length to the portiomsze andminor vdetails of construction withinl the scope oli the claimsylmay be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of `the advantages ofthe invention.

To more clearly comprehend the invention7` re ference is vdirectedto the accompany. ma drawings; wherein..- l" i, f

li isla\viewjinbottom eleuation ofit'he Shipping, biOX Wtn' several Oifth@ Cllp'ltment'` boxes lreceived within' ,one Vcompartf ment upside down land preparatory closinlgfthebottom formingnaps,`

' Fig. A12' is a y traSVerse i ycentral sectignal viewl disclosing the com'partmentboxes'finl position and y the fboaom fermieeeiis in Orer1ni e-al selrelation ,Fie- `3 if .anew impers the compartment boxes.

Fig. f4 is a Vview in elevation of,'the jbox with the compartment boxes therein, y illns` tratingi the `bottom closure 'forming :Hap-s `iny closed posit ion,'and thebox 'ina condition toibeilld- I "I i" y Y y isanend top fand' bottom wa l y forming ilaps infoieilz'ippefdy el'osedjv relation.

Figzf is ayie'w', 'n end"elevationfofa tier 0i. boxes tied together llustratligthe rept# lating and air 'circulating openings'. v

Fig.v 7 is a view'` in perspective' ofone lor the jboxes, 'illustrating particularly thel cover flap retaininglbatten. f i

lFig. 8- `s. aview4 box in itscollapsed condition. y

AReferring `more` particularly to Vthe ,Sev-

eral views of 'the l'drawings wherein llike characters of frefe'rence "designate i correspondingparts, Lin tht cons tructonoi? this packagel is a stripl of material preferably. of veneer-board, and, is scored transverselypat spaced V`V,points l, to yprovide "interconnected receptacle side land end :walls 3f ande. The terminal ends Aof the 4strip are thencve'krlapped as at'f5, li'gure 7 '1 ectiYe of` one oftiew of aiey bex withl the in perspectiveiof the ,t and are'f" secured l together vin suitable manner,` the stripv at `this time. fcrming'pa.,rectangular.open

frame structure. Secured to the inner faces of opposing side wallsvr are thefsheetsjl f of a'width coextensivew'iththe ,length of..

thewside wall, and of a lengthfslightly greater Ythan @twice the 4width ofi the, 'frame plus the, depth of Ithe sidelv'wall. `l`hesere spectiye sheets y are` securedv in positionl `by suitable, vattaching means las. Staples 7" whh" if desired may also'Uestheffeinflinaleiisdsv of the Vstrip '1.' iAt vpoints slightly aboye and lbelow the longitudinal .edges the side walls, the sheets tifare` longitudinally scored fas `at 8,. yproviding closure,.ilapsy 9,

and 10, thesefflaps each being 4of len yth slightly greater than one; half of Ethek.. th n of the Completed carton or receptacle, so that when the same are folded down to form a wall, their free ends will overlap as at 10', FigureQ of the drawings. lt will be observed that the strip scored to form side and end walls and the sheets affording the iaps for providing top and bottom wall closures are capable of being collapsed to form a substantially flat structure, as in Figure 8 and in assembling the box or container the frame forming strip is assembled as in Figure 1 and a. brace 11 correspondino` with the depth of the strip 1 and of the 2length of the receptacle is positioned between the end walls i to divide the receptacle into two compartments! 12, and said brace is preferably nailed at its ends to the end vwalls l by the nails 13. This brace affords rigid structure extending longitudinally of the center of the container and also separates the container into two compartments.

in the particular embodiment of this invention illustrated, l have disclosed a box or container of a size to accommodate six compartment boxes of the type adapted for shipping strawberries or other small berries, but it is to be understood that the compartment box `niay be of such size and number corresponding to the size of the container that said compartment box may contain suchA fruits or vegetables as desired, particularly oranges, grape fruit, grapes. tomatoes, and like fruits, and vegetables of a relatively large size. ln assembling the struc-ture, a plurality of compartment boxes 14 are positioned in close formation within `each compartment@ 12 with their open tops downwardly disposed `as illustrated in Figure l. After each compartment is supplied, the bottom forming iiaps 9 are folded downwardly gn their scores 8 with their free edges in overlapping relation as at 10 overlying one edge of the brace 11. A hatten 15 is positioned longitudinally over this edge of the brace 11 to overlie said overlapping ends and the same is secured to the brace by nails 16 which pass, through the batten, through the overlapping edges of the flaps and into the brace 11. rlhe bottom of this container has now been formed yand the container is reversed from the position in Figure 1 to that in Figure 4, wherein the compartment boxes are presented with their open tops upwardly disposed. rlhe compartment boxes are rthen supplied y with their contents in any suitable manner and the top cover forming liaps 10 are folded down with their free edges in overlapping relation as were the bottom forming flaps 9, and such overlapping edges of the top formingl flaps 10 are secured to the opposite edge of the brace 11 by nails which pass through a retaining batten 17. It will be observed that, in providing the scores 8 which form the flaps 9 and 10, the same are aesaeii disposed a slight distance removed from the opposing edges of the strip thus affording air circulation or Ventilating spaces 18 at opposite ends of the receptacle or container at opposite sides and in connection with both the top and bottom thereof, which spaces atl'ord ample ventilation and air circulation for the contents of the receptacle or container. This construction also enables the stacking of the receptacles or containers, as in r ig. 6, as by raising the edges to provide the air spaces 18, and by utilizing battcns of veneer material, the co-operating battens of adjacent stacked receptacles or containers are disposed to contact when the scored edges of the sheets of the stacked receptacles or containers rest on one another. In stacking the receptacles or containers as in Figure 6, the same are heldin a unit package preferably by end battens 19 disposed in longitudinal alignment with the braces 'l1 and secured to the' ends of the braces by nails 20.

It will be observed a construction which is capable of being shipped in a knocked down `condition semi assembled, and that the same is adapted forr ready assembling` in the field or packing house or other place where it is desired to be iilied, and that when assembled and closed is of a rigid structure, .as the top and bottom wall forming flaps which extend in overlapping relation half the distance across the container are secured to the opposite edges of the brace, which brace is in turn unitedto the end walls of the container. It will be observed that the brace which extends longitudinally of the receptacle or container is secured to the walls of the container at both its edges and ends, not at one point but at a plurality ofpoints thereby affording maximum strength to the container. Y

Having thus described my` invention, what l claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United Statesis :w-

1. A container including connected side and end walls adapted for positioning to form a substantially rectangularv frame, top and bottom wall forming flaps hinged at one edge with their free edges free to fold toward each other into meeting relation, a part extending across the interior of the frame and secured at its ends to opposing wall members, and means for securing the free edges of said top and bottom wall forming members to opposite edges of said part.

E2. A foldable shipping box comprising articulate side and end walls foldable one that have provided onto another and adapted for unfolding to members and hinged to permit their free igesegeii v edges to `fold over'the top and bottom-of the traine toward each other into substantially meeting relation, a part extending across the interior of the frame and secured i at its ends to opposing vvall members, and means for securing the free edges of said `top andbottom ivallforming members tov opposite edges or" said part. n

ifi collapsible shipping containercomprising complementary side and end `Walls varticulately connected and capable of torm-v ya rectangular Wall structure When Amoved `from their collapsed positions, top

and bottom Wall forming members hinged to opposite Walls of" the container, said .for securing the complementary top and bottom Wall forming members to said part.

4. A collapsible shipping container comprising complementary sideand end Walls articulately connected and capable of forming a rectangular Wall structureivhen moved from their collapsed positions, top andloot-y tom Wall forming members hinged to opposite Walls of the container, said members comprising complementary Wall forming portions projecting beyond the sides of the frame forming Walls and toldable toward each other with the tree edges of' opposing portions in meeting relationV to form a complete Wall7 a part extending across the wall structure and secured at its opposite ends to opposing Walls, and a batteri extending longitudinally of each edge of the said part and overlying the free edges of the complementary top and bottom rorining members, and means passing through said battens for securing the same to said part. p y

5. A collapsible shipping container comprising complementary side and end Walls articulately connected and capable of yforming a rectangular Wall structure when moved from their collapsed positions, top and bottom Wall forming members secured to opposite Wallsof the structure'7 said members each comprising complementary portions adapted for folding toward each other into co-oper- Aating relation and each extending approximately one-half ot the distance across the Wall structure7 a part extending transversely of the Wall structure and over which the free edges of'said complementary top and bottom Wall forming members are adapted to overlap, and means for securing said part to said end Walls and to said overlapping complementary top and bottom Wall forming members.

.6. A. collapsible shipping container comrisinv com lementarv side yand end Walls -articulately connected and capableof fernring'a rectangular Wall structure when movedV i,

from their collapsedpositions. top and bot# tom Wall forming members hinged-to opposite Walls vof the container, said members comprising complementary Wall forming portions projecting beyondthe sides oithe Yiframe' forming Walls and :toldablev tovvai'd each other with the free edgesof opposing portions inineetingrelation to it'orm a complete Wall, apa-rt extendiiigfacross the Wall Astructure and secured its opposite ends to opposing Walls.` complementary top and bottomfwall forming members hinged to opposite edges ot opposing Wall ormingmein bers, a longitudinal brace Within the con tainer, and means for securing the tree edges 01"' the complementary topand bottom Wall .forming members thereto.

7.` A collapsible shipping container come prising vcomplementary side and enfdy Walls articulately connected andcapable` of :forming a rectangular Wall structure when moved `from their collapsed positions, top and bottom Wall forming members hinged to opposite Walls of the container, said members` comprising complementary Wall forming portions projecting beyond the sides lof the frame forming Walls and foldable toward eachother with the free edges of opposing portions in meeting relation to form a coinplete Wall, a part extending across the Wall structure and secured at its opposite ends to opposing Walls, complementary top and 4 bottom Wall forming members hinged to opposite edges of opposing Wall forming members and adapted for folding toward `each other in overlapping relation, a brace ex.v tending' between opposing i Walls of `said structure and dividing the same `into dupli-` cate chambers, one adapted for closing by n i each of said complementary members, means Jfor securing the ends of the brace to saidv end Wall forming members, and means including nails and battens for securingthe overlapping edges `of confiplementaryA top and bottom Wall folding members to Said brace. l 'y 8. A shipping container comprising connected side and end Walls forming a rectangular Wall structurecomplementary top and bottom` closure formingmembers hinged at corresponding edgesof said sidewalls to enable complementary members vto told to- Ward each other andthe free edges to overlap, a brace Within said rectangular structure dividing the same into duplicate compartments onel face of each of which is closed by one of said complementary members, and means for securing the free' edgesof saidy complementary top and bottom closure members and the structure end Walls to said brace.

and end wall Jforming members assembled to form a rectangular Wall'structnre, top and bot-tom pairs of closure flaps secured to the side Wall members and hinged to swing relatively thereto at a point eXteriorly of their outer edges, a brace Within said Wall structure dividing jche same into duplicate coinpartinents and over the opposite edges oi Which the free edges of said riaps are adapt* ed to overlap when hinged to closed position. a batten overlying the overlapping` seam oic said flaps and extendingr longitudinally of the brace withv its surface approximately lush with the hinged joints oi' said flaps, and means extending through 1the overlapping flaps and .batteri for securingsaid batten to the brace.

l0. A shipping; container comprising a strip scored transversely to torni Complementary end and side Wall members adapted to form a rectangular container Wall strueture When the strip ends are united, a pair of container top and bottom Wall yforming- Lessen,

members`r one associated with opposing Wall structure membersand eaeh comprising a' face of the container and each coeXtensive With the length ott the container and of a Width slightly greater than one-half the Width thereof a brace removably positioned longitudinally Within the 'Container Wall structure 1rwith its ends in contact with the structure end Walls and its edges substantially flush with Jhe edges of the structure end iva-ils, the free ends oic said flaps adapted `lfor folding inte overlapping relation With opposing edges of said brace and means for securing; the edges of said iiaps and said Wall structure ends to said brace..

ln testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE X. WENDLING. 

